The second meeting of the India-Mongolia Joint Committee on Cooperation, held last week in Delhi, decided to operationalize the bilateral pact on civil nuclear cooperation by assisting in capacity creation for the Mongolian nuclear sector and considering the manner in which India would begin uranium mining in Mongolia. The leader of the Mongolian delegation, Minister of Education & Science Y. Otgonbayar, invited Indian participation in its uranium mining sector including through joint ventures and investment. Mongolia also welcomed Indian participation in the mining of coal, coking coal and other minerals in Mongolia.

India offered a short course on radiography for Mongolian personnel at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai and assistance to set up a regulatory and radiation protection framework in Mongolia.  Both countries had signed the memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the field of peaceful use of radioactive minerals and nuclear energy during Mongolian President’s visit in September last year. Both sides also decided to update bilateral ties to the level of a “Comprehensive Partnership.”

Besides the nuclear sector, Mongolia sought Indian assistance in a number of sectors including establishing a National Centre for Research in Animal Diseases (Pandemics), water harvesting and construction of dams, biotechnology and development of the Mongolian dairy sector. Mongolia presented a formal proposal for an India-Mongolia Joint Information Technology Education and Outsourcing Centre utilizing the USD25 million line of credit extended by India on special concessional terms.